Genesis 50:23

KJV

And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third [generation]: the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Joseph's knees.

KJV (with Strong's)

And Joseph {H3130} saw {H7200} Ephraim's {H669} children {H1121} of the third {H8029} generation: the children {H1121} also of Machir {H4353} the son {H1121} of Manasseh {H4519} were brought up {H3205} upon Joseph's {H3130} knees {H1290}.

Complete Jewish Bible

Yosef lived to see Efrayim's great-grandchildren, and the children of M'nasheh's son Makhir were born on Yosef's knees.

Berean Standard Bible

He saw Ephraim’s sons to the third generation, and indeed the sons of Machir son of Manasseh were brought up on Joseph’s knees.

American Standard Version

And Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation: the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were born upon Joseph’s knees.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
records a poignant moment in Joseph’s life, illustrating the abundant fulfillment of God’s covenant promises of fruitfulness and longevity to the patriarchs. This verse highlights Joseph’s blessed old age, his enduring legacy, and the flourishing of his family line within Egypt, underscoring God's faithfulness in preserving and multiplying His chosen people even in a foreign land.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is situated near the very end of the Book of Genesis, serving as a concluding testament to Joseph's remarkable life and God's enduring faithfulness. It immediately precedes Joseph's final instructions and death, providing a sense of closure to the patriarchal narratives and setting the stage for the burgeoning nation of Israel in Egypt. Following Jacob's death and burial, Joseph reassures his brothers of God's providential care, reiterating that what they intended for evil, God intended for good ([Genesis 50:20](/genesis/50-20 "God's Providence through Joseph")). This verse, therefore, acts as a powerful visual confirmation of God's blessing and the ongoing fulfillment of His covenant promises of multiplication, even as the narrative transitions towards the Exodus.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** In the ancient Near East, longevity and the ability to see one's descendants, particularly great-grandchildren, were considered profound blessings and tangible signs of divine favor. A large family was a source of honor, security, and a guarantee of one's legacy. The act of "bringing up children upon one's knees" was a recognized cultural idiom, signifying formal acknowledgment, adoption, or the bestowal of patriarchal blessing and authority, ensuring the children's legitimate place within the family and their inheritance. The setting in Egypt, a foreign land, further emphasizes God's miraculous preservation and multiplication of Jacob's family, despite their being away from the Promised Land.
* **Key Themes:** [Genesis 50:23](/genesis/50-23 "Joseph's legacy and God's faithfulness") powerfully reinforces several overarching themes found throughout Genesis. Firstly, it underscores God's **covenant faithfulness** to the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, particularly the promise of countless descendants ([Genesis 15:5](/genesis/15-5 "God's promise to Abraham of countless descendants")). Secondly, it highlights the theme of **generational blessing and legacy**, emphasizing the joy and significance of seeing one's family line continue and flourish. Finally, it serves as a testament to **divine providence**, demonstrating how God sovereignly orchestrates events—even Joseph's suffering and relocation to Egypt—to preserve His chosen people and fulfill His ultimate plan for them, setting the stage for their eventual emergence as a mighty nation.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **saw (Hebrew, _râʼâh'_ - H7200):** This verb signifies more than mere physical sight; it implies a profound experience of perceiving, discerning, and witnessing the fulfillment of God's promises. Joseph's "seeing" his great-grandchildren confirms his longevity and the tangible reality of God's blessing upon his lineage, providing a visual testament to the fruitfulness promised to the patriarchs.
* **children (Hebrew, _bên'_ - H1121):** This word, appearing multiple times in the verse, is central to the theme of multiplication and legacy. While often translated "son," it encompasses a broader range of descendants, including grandsons and great-grandsons. Its repetition emphasizes the rapid growth and expansion of Joseph's family line, fulfilling the divine promise of numerous offspring and establishing the foundation for the future nation of Israel.
* **knees (Hebrew, _berek'_ - H1290):** This word is crucial for understanding the idiom "brought up upon Joseph's knees." The knee, in ancient culture, was often associated with birth, strength, and authority. In this context, it points to a symbolic act of formal acknowledgment and patriarchal blessing, signifying the full acceptance and inclusion of these descendants into Joseph's family and, by extension, into the covenant lineage of Israel.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third [generation]:"** This clause highlights Joseph's extraordinary longevity and the remarkable fulfillment of God's promise of fruitfulness. To live long enough to see one's great-grandchildren (the "third generation" from Ephraim, Joseph's son) was considered a profound mark of divine favor and a complete, blessed life in ancient Near Eastern culture. It underscores the rapid growth of the Israelite family in Egypt, indicating their flourishing and expansion, a vital precursor to their emergence as a mighty nation.
* **"the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Joseph's knees."** This second clause provides further evidence of Joseph's blessed old age and his active role as patriarch. Machir was Manasseh's only recorded son ([Genesis 50:23](/genesis/50-23 "Joseph sees his descendants")), making these children Joseph's great-great-grandchildren. The idiomatic phrase "brought up upon Joseph's knees" (Hebrew: *yullĕdû ʿal birkê Yôsēf*) does not imply literal birth, but a symbolic act of formal acknowledgment, adoption, or the bestowal of patriarchal blessing and authority. It signifies Joseph's deep joy, his full acceptance of these descendants, and their legitimate inclusion into the family, ensuring their rightful place within the burgeoning family of Israel.

#### Literary Devices
The verse employs **Idiom** through the phrase "brought up upon Joseph's knees," which is a significant cultural expression denoting formal acknowledgment and patriarchal blessing, not literal birth. This **Idiom** functions as a powerful form of **Symbolism**, representing Joseph's joy, his active role as patriarch, and the legitimate inclusion of his descendants into the covenant family. The entire verse also serves as a narrative **Climax** to Joseph's life story, providing a visual and emotional culmination of God's faithfulness to him and his family, emphasizing the themes of longevity, fruitfulness, and the continuity of the Abrahamic covenant.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
[Genesis 50:23](/genesis/50-23 "Joseph's legacy and God's faithfulness") profoundly illustrates God's unwavering faithfulness to His covenant promises, particularly the promise of numerous descendants to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Despite the challenges of famine, slavery, and relocation to a foreign land, God ensured the miraculous multiplication of Jacob's family. This verse highlights the biblical emphasis on generational blessing and the importance of leaving a spiritual and familial legacy, as Joseph's joy in seeing his great-grandchildren underscores the value of family continuity and the passing down of faith. Joseph's life, culminating in this scene, is a grand narrative of divine providence, demonstrating how God preserved Joseph through adversity to preserve his family, ensuring the survival and growth of the nascent nation of Israel, setting the stage for the Exodus. Even as the Book of Genesis closes with the Israelites in Egypt, this verse offers a glimpse of hope, assuring the reader that God's plan for His people continues to unfold, despite their eventual enslavement, leading towards future deliverance and the ultimate fulfillment of God's covenant.

* [Genesis 15:5](/genesis/15-5 "God's promise to Abraham of countless descendants")
* [Genesis 48:5](/genesis/48-5 "Jacob blesses Ephraim and Manasseh")
* [Psalm 128:6](/psalms/128-6 "May you live to see your children's children")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
[Genesis 50:23](/genesis/50-23 "Joseph's legacy and God's faithfulness") offers profound lessons for believers today. Firstly, it serves as a powerful reminder of God's enduring faithfulness to His promises, even when their full realization spans many years or generations. Joseph's journey from a pit to a palace, and finally to witnessing his great-grandchildren, testifies to God's persistent plan and unwavering care for His people. Secondly, the verse underscores the profound value of family and the inherent joy in seeing one's spiritual and familial legacy continue. It encourages us to invest diligently in future generations, intentionally passing on faith, values, and a heritage of trust in God. Finally, it instills hope in God's sovereign providence; even in circumstances that appear difficult or uncertain, God's overarching plan for His people continues to unfold, offering assurance that His work will ultimately prevail, leading to ultimate fulfillment and deliverance, as Joseph himself foreshadowed in [Genesis 50:25](/genesis/50-25 "Joseph's dying request about his bones").

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does Joseph's experience of seeing his descendants fulfill God's promises to Abraham, and what does this teach us about God's faithfulness?**
* **What does "being brought up upon Joseph's knees" signify, and how can we apply the principle of patriarchal blessing and acceptance in our own families or spiritual communities today?**
* **In what ways can we actively invest in the spiritual legacy of future generations, ensuring the continuation of faith and biblical values?**

### FAQ
**What is the significance of the phrase "brought up upon Joseph's knees"?**

Answer: The phrase "brought up upon Joseph's knees" (Hebrew: *yullĕdû ʿal birkê Yôsēf*) is a significant ancient Near Eastern idiom. It does not imply literal birth, but rather a symbolic act of formal acknowledgment, adoption, or bestowing a patriarchal blessing. When children were placed on a patriarch's knees, it signified that he was taking them under his direct care, legitimizing their place within the family, and conferring upon them his authority and blessing. For Joseph, it demonstrated his acceptance and joy in his expanding lineage, ensuring their full inclusion and inheritance within the family of Israel, much like Jacob had previously adopted Joseph's sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, as his own in [Genesis 48:5](/genesis/48-5 "Jacob blesses Ephraim and Manasseh").

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Joseph's life, culminating in the scene of [Genesis 50:23](/genesis/50-23 "Joseph's vision of future generations"), serves as a powerful type of Christ. Just as Joseph was unjustly rejected by his brothers yet became the providential means of salvation and preservation for his family and many nations, so too Christ, rejected by His own ([John 1:11](/john/1-11 "He came to His own")), became the ultimate Savior of humanity. Joseph's providential care for his family, ensuring their survival and multiplication in Egypt, foreshadows Christ's role in preserving His spiritual family, the Church, and bringing them into the promised eternal inheritance. The flourishing of Joseph's lineage, despite being in a foreign land, points to the ultimate fulfillment of God's covenant promises through Christ, who ensures the spiritual fruitfulness and eternal life of all who are "brought up upon His knees" through adoption into God's family. Through faith in Christ, believers are not merely descendants by blood, but are spiritually "born" into God's family, receiving the Spirit of adoption ([Romans 8:15](/romans/8-15 "Spirit of adoption")) and becoming heirs according to the promise ([Galatians 3:29](/galatians/3-29 "Heirs according to the promise")), securing a lineage that transcends earthly generations and culminates in an eternal inheritance.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Numbers 32:39

And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorite which [was] in it.

Genesis 30:3

And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.

Job 42:16

After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons' sons, [even] four generations.

Joshua 17:1

¶ There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh; for he [was] the firstborn of Joseph; [to wit], for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead: because he was a man of war, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan.

Genesis 48:19

And his father refused, and said, I know [it], my son, I know [it]: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.

Psalms 128:6

Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, [and] peace upon Israel.

Numbers 32:33

And Moses gave unto them, [even] to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land, with the cities thereof in the coasts, [even] the cities of the country round about.